Zur funktion,morphologie und histochemie der Schwanzdrüse bei Röhrenaalen (Pisces,Apodes, Heterocongridae)

A gland in the tip of the tail of the garden eel (Heterocongridae) is described. This gland produces a mixture of neutral and, to a lesser extent, acidic mucopolysaccharides. These slime substances appear to be used to glue the sand grains forming the tube walls in which the semi-sedentary eels live. The structure of the gland is described in relation to the normal mucous-containing goblet cells in the body epidermis of the garden eels. In the tail of young individuals, in two species, only goblet-like cells could be found. These differ in shape and histochemical reaction from the tail gland of the adult eels.